The Secret Potter
by Cecil Hopps
Summary: Harry Potter lived in foster care for three years, always distant, always holding back his true potential until a mysterious woman tells him of his true potential.


In the busy house in London, the children of Mrs Humming's talked over each other as they got ready for school and breakfast. The no one could hear the doorbell over the children.

"Susan can you please get that?" she called to the front of the house where a little girl of about eight was brushing her teeth getting her things in her bag.

"Okay, Kate." She went to open the door and stepped back revealing an old woman with grey hair and a black dress with a gold pocket watch.

"Good morning dear is Kate Humming here? She was expecting me today." Susan nodded slowly and called back loudly.

"Kate it's for you she says you were expecting her." Kate came into view of their guest.

"Thank you, Susan." Susan took that as her cue to go leaving the two of them together. "You must be the professor."

"That's correct I am Professor McGonagall Minerva if you prefer." Professor McGonagall stood straight and respectable.

"Of course I received your letter about Harry. Oh, I will finish getting the children ready and then speak with you. In the meantime, please come in make yourself at home." Kate continued to help the children as McGonagall stepped into the home.

Four children were running around getting ready for school while the younger children were eating breakfast. The house seemed perfectly respectable if a bit dusty; Which any reasonable person would expect with a lot of children running around.

"Where is Harry?" McGonagall asked as she picked up a few toys from the couch making room to sit down. From the other room, Kate called "Upstairs please give me a moment."

After all the children were sent off to school and the garden to play Kate sat down with tea.

"I received your letter about a week ago I tried to find any record of the Potter's, but there was nothing to be found."

"I don't suppose there would be why is Mr Potter here instead of with his relatives?" Kate gave an inquisitive look.

"You didn't hear what happened? It was in the papers around here. Harry was living with a family called the Dursleys his aunt was the sister of the boy's mother. The school called Child Services and they removed Harry from home."

McGonagall remained outwardly calm though inside she was furious at Dumbledore for allowing this to happen. "I see and why wasn't he getting ready for school like the rest of them?"

"I thought that would have been obvious. I got your letter and told Harry he could stay home today so that you could speak with him. If I'm being honest and don't tell Harry, I told you this. I don't think Harry likes school I think he's scared." McGonagall glanced up. "He spends a lot of time in the garden there are snakes there not dangerous ones, but they come every once in a while."

"I think I should speak with him." McGonagall stood up and began to walk upstairs following Susan as she still spoke about Harry barely prompted.

"Poor kid, imagining spending your first eight years under some stairs, you know they only gave him scraps? It's not great."

"No, I suppose not." McGonagall turned around. "Look I am sorry about this, but I would prefer to speak with Harry alone." Kate stopped for a bit and then nodded smiling.

"Of course ma'am." She walked back down to the other children as McGonagall unlocked the door with a wave of her wand.

The door opened, and McGonagall stepped inside. There was art on the wall with vague shapes and bright green lights; these images hung all over Harry's room with little care on where he hung them. There was one of a motorcycle McGonagall looked carefully at it.

"Hello. Do you like my drawings?" Harry Potter sat on the window sill watching McGonagall with timid curiosity as McGonagall faced him.

"Why yes but probably not the one you are thinking of." Harry stared out the window again and responded a rehearsed statement.

"Those drawings are dreams I've had my therapist tells me that babies can't remember what happens to them until they are three."

McGonagall sat on a chair beside Harry. "but you do? What do you think you are remembering?" Harry sighed and looked at the drawings again trying to think of what they mean.

"I believe they are from the accident that killed my parents. Probably from a guy on a motorcycle." McGonagall decided that it was the right way to tell Harry. "Your parents didn't die in a traffic accident the green light you are dreaming of is a spell. Your parents were magic."

Harry looked at McGonagall with sudden anger in his eyes. "Do you think I'm an idiot? You are doing mind tricks trying some new therapy." Suddenly the window cracked. "There is no such thing as magic!" The window exploded.

"Harry, did your Aunt and Uncle punish you when strange things happened? Maybe when you were scared or angry?" As Harry looked back at the window, he saw the pieces of glass go back into place, and McGonagall was holding what Harry could only assume was a wand.

"That's magic. You did real magic!" After McGonagall repaired the window, she sat on the chair again and opened her bag.

"Would you like some tea dear?" A teapot and cup saucer and a sugar bowl with a spoon flew out of a bag that was too small for all the items. Harry sat down and was very impressed with the display.

"I'm sorry but" McGonagall held up a hand to stop him before Harry could say any more.

"One or Two sugars?" Harry looked at the tea filling itself up with water and adding sugar to McGonagall's cup.

"Ummm 2 thank you. Are you doing this or is it the cup?" McGonagall levitated the cup to Harry.

"The tea set has a charm on it that makes it do basic things." Harry caught the cup. "I made the cup float to you."

"Thank you, ma'am." Harry took a sip and looked at her wand. "I'm a wizard. Is Magic real properly real? Does that explain the things that happened to me and my memory?"

McGonagall thought for a while to see if it did. "All the defence things that happened when you were with your family that was probably magic though it's hard to say without knowing specifics, your memory is something else. The things you dream about did happen to you. A wizard named Hagrid took you to live with your relatives when your parents died it was on a motorcycle. The green light is the same colour as the spell that killed your parents." So your dreams are real I just don't know how you could remember it."

Harry decided to store that information for later and keep things relatively cheerful until such a time as he needed to know. "What school are you from anyway? I don't suppose you are from any I have heard of." McGonagall chuckled a little. "No, I am the deputy headmistress and Transfiguration professor at Hogwarts a magical school in Scotland. Children go there from 11 until they turn 17."

"I have some friends here where do I tell them I'm going? I assume 'hey I'm going to study magic' isn't going to go well." McGonagall did chuckle at this before giving Harry a brochure.

"We give this to muggles there is a department in the ministry of magic to deal with these sorts of things. The public name for Hogwarts is Arcanum Ludum, a perfectly respectable school. Is there anything else you would like to know before we go?"

Harry thought about this for a long moment and then said. "How can I pay to go to school and supplies and such." McGonagall nodded and took out a key.

"This key is to your family vault. It is to be in the care of Dumbledore headmaster of Hogwarts until you turn 17. Your inheritance will be used to spend on your school supplies and anything we deem appropriate until then. I do hope that is sufficient for you Mr Potter." Harry nodded as a snake slithered in.

"What happened to your window, sir?" It said and looked at Harry who shrugged.

"It was an accident I suppose; this is Professor McGonagall she is taking me to Hogwarts, a magic school." The snake turned to a pail McGonagall and bowed.

"You can talk to snakes. That is a very unusual power Mr Potter best keep it a secret. I am afraid that the only pets allowed at Hogwarts are an owl cat or toad so your snake will have to stay here I'm afraid." McGonagall handed Harry a letter, and he read it.

"Okay, I won't bring him." After reading the letter, Harry looked up again. "Can we go now?"

"I'm afraid can go tomorrow morning today I am only meant to give you your letter. I will pick you up tomorrow I promise. Keep that letter safe until I return." She stood up and shook Harry's hand. "It has been a pleasure, Mr Potter."

"Likewise Professor." With that Professor, McGonagall left Harry's home and went back to Hogwarts.

Later that day in Dumbledore's office Dumbledore was writing and looked up from his desk. "How was the boy, Professor?"

After a while of thinking, McGonagall spoke. "I believe he is a Horcrux."

Dumbledore dropped his quill. "Oh no."


End file.
